Pneumatic coupling.



D. B. STANLEY. PNEUMATIC COUPLING. APPLIOATION FILED 001228, 1908.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

DAVID B. s'ra'ivLnY, on Martin rnarnm, rmnnsora.

4 rnnuma'rrocomine,

Application filed pot-char Specification of Letters Patent.

28,1908. may, erases.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910;

To all whom it may concern:

Be. it known that I,DAVID B. STANLEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at and useful Improvements inPneumaticv Maine Prairie, in the county of. Stearns and State ofMinnesota, have invented new Couplers, of which the following is aspecification.

' This invention relates to improvements in car couplings of the J anneytype, and the main object of the invention is to provide a cou ler ofthis character adapted to be operate by air pressure, the sald airpressure being derived from the pneumaticsystem operatin the brakes.

iththe above and other ob ects in view which will appear as theinvention ,roresses, the invention resides in provi ing the draw bar ofthe coupling with a suitable bo're having a communication with an airinlet pipe and being provided with a piston to'which is secured a wedgeshaped member,

the piston being adapted to force the wedge shaped member into engaement with suitable ears provided upon a ocking pin to diserwage thesame from the tail of the knuckle an also swing receive the knuckle. ofthe coacting coupling whereby In'the accompanymg drawing there has beenshown a simple and preferred embodistood that alterations reservoir mentof the invention, but it is to be underwithin thescope of the appendedclaims may be resorted to if desired. In the. drawing, Figure 1 is a topplan view of a coupler constructed in accordance I with the presentinvent-ion,

illustrating its connection with the air-cylinder and the method ofcontrolling the entrancepf air to the coupler, the'bodyof the car beingindicated by the dotted lines, Fi 2 is a central horizontal sectionalview 0? the coupling.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the coupler-.1

In the accompanying drawing the numeral 1 desi nates anv auxilia airreceptacle connecte throughthe medium of a pipe 2 with the mainbrakeoperating air system of the train, not shown.

1'*is provided with oppositely extendin pipes the knuckle open, the airexhausting through a suitable port, and theknuckle being in a positionto 'iwitlit e couplers 4 at each endof the car. draw bar of the,coupler, 4is provided witha suitable bore 5 communicating with, thecentral open portion of th'efhead ofthe coupler and being providedadjacent its rear transverse wall with a suitable nipple 6 con-' mailinga flexible pipe 7 with a suitable valve 8 secured to the'pipe 3 andcommunicating with the reservoir 1. The car body 9, indicated by thedotted lines illustrated in F .1 of the drawing is rovided with suitabe, eyes or brackets 10 a apted for the reception of a valve operatingrod 11 which has its handle as indicated by the numeral 12 and in theusual manner beworking within a suitable The auxiliary tank or andhaving its upper portion provided with an L-shapedextensionor offsetwhich is adapted to engage and retain the tail of the knuckle in lockedposition. The body portion of the coupling is also provided with a pinis forced upwardly ,and its L-shaped 0 set portion 20 away from the tail15 of the knuckle 14, in a manner hereinafter to be described, willprovide a suitable receptacle for the upper portion of the said lockingpin. The upper portion of the locking pin 17 is provided with 'asuitable ear to which is pivotally connected a link 21, and the upperwall of the receptacle 19 is also provided with a suitable opening throuhwhich the upper portion of said link exten s. The link 21 is providedwith a suitable eye 22 to which may be attached a suitable flexibleelement by which the locking dpin may be operated manually when desireBy reference to Fig. 3 of the drawing, itwill be noted from the dottedlines illustratin the'position of the locking in 17 when released fromthe tail 15 of the uckle that the space between thetop wallof thechemouter end. r'ovided with a'suitable offset or' provided withtheusual bifurcated extending portions of coupler. The reduced tall' thelower portion of the head,

suitable chamber 19 which, when the lOCklIlflg 3, adapted to communicaai having its inner end connected with a hrough the medium of a H v ber19 and the lower wall or floor vof the knuckle is less than the lengthof the locking ,wall of the opening 18.

the nlet n pple toward the open pin 17, so that when this pin ispositioned as representedby the dotted lines it'will be inclined at aslight angle, the-lower portion of the pin restim against aprojection'23 formed across t e open mouth of the coupler. It will bealso noted, by reference to the said Fig. 3 that the rea; lowerlwall ofthe recess or pocket 19 is in an approximately straight line with regardto the rear By this arranges ment,"whenthe'locking jaw of the knuckle isopened as indicated by the dotted lines of Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing,it will be seen that the locking jaw of the coacting coupler willcontact with the tail 15 of the knuckle and force, the same rearwardly.'When the tail 15'is swung a sufficient distance it will carry withit'the locking pin 17 and position I the same directly above the opening18, thus allowing tht L-shaped upper portion of the pin to slide bygravity into'engagement wlth the tail of the knuckle.

Positioned within the bore .5 of the draw bar of the coupling,andnormally adjacent is secured a head 26 having a. bifurcated wedgeshaped extending portion 27. The arms provlded by the wedge shapedextension of themember 26 are adapted to have engaged between them thelocking pin '17.

he pin 17 is provided upon two of its opof the mouth of the coupling isalso provided with suitable cut away portions provided in the lip 23 andadapted to serve as a guide for the lnclined portlons of the'member 26.1 The operation of the device is as follows: hen it is desired torelease the locking jaw or knuckle of the coupler, the valve 8 isoperated through the medium of the rod 11 so as to allow compressed airto enter the bore 5 behind the piston 24:, which is forced mouth of the,coupler causing the locking pin 17, through the medium of the oppositelydisposed extensions 28 normally restingupon the inclined facesof themember 26, to ride upwardly until the L'- shaped'extension of thelocking member is isengaged from the tail 15 of the knuckle. As theWedge sh farther forward travels the limit ofits scope the air containedwithin the bore 5 isexhausted through a suitable opening 29 provided bythe draw eadof the coupler. When the tail 15 is viously' described.

ivithin the pipe? the tail of the knuckle to lock knuckle havingmunicating by thepiston 24 is forced rearwardily into its initialposition and the. locking pin will have its lower extremity positionedabove and dropped withinthe opening 18 as pre- It is to be understoodthat immediately after the plunger 2% haspassed the port 29, theoperator will close the valve 8, he having, of course, observed theopening knuckle,

and thus becomingiaware that the operating device has performed itsfunction. The air and bore 5 will have ample time to escape H y, knuckle14= is contacted by' knuckle, should main Within the ion forthe plunger24.

Having; thus fully described the invention what is c aimed as new is:

1-. In a device of the character described,

a car couplerhaving a movable knuckle, a locking pin for the knuckle, analt reservolr,

a connection between the reservoirand the coupler, and means. actuatedby the entrance In a device for the purpose set forth, bination with acar coupler having a PIVOfGd knuckle comprising a locking jaw portion, alocking pin having an L-shaped upper portion adapted to engage the same,a movable piston: within the coupler, and means for admitting fluidwithin the coupler to operate the piston to raise the coupling pin outof engagement with the tail of the knuckle and to force the knuckleoutwardly upon its pivot.

3. In a device of the character 'set forth,

a car coupler" providedwith a pivoted a locking-jaw and a tail portion,said coupler being provided with a chamber at its upper portion, the topwall of the chamber being provided with an opening, a locking pincomprising a'member having an L-shaped offset adapted to engage thetail. of the knuckle, a link connected with the locking pin'andextending through the openin provided by-the chamber, offsets upon t 'elocking-pin, the draw bar of the coupler being provided with'a borecomwith the head of the coupler, a slidable piston within the bore, awedge shaped member connected with the piston and adapted to lie beneaththe offsets of the locking pin, and means for admitting fluid to slidethe piston andto raise the locking pin out of enga'ement with thetail ofthe knuckle and to force the locking jaw of the knuckle outwardly ecombination with coacting car couing an L-shaped ofl'set portion adaptedto engage with the tail of the knuckle and to be ositioned within theopening, a link pivota ly connected with the locking projecting) throughthe top of sald coupler,

the draw er of e said coupling being provided with a 'borehaving anoutlet port, a

piston provided with a Elston rod within the bore, a wedge shapedifurcated member connected with the piston, ofi'sets provided I :uponthe lockin pin adaptedto rest upon the inclined wa s of thebifurcatedfmember, means for admitting fluid within the bore to operatethe piston to cause the wedge shaped member to raise the locking pin outpin and,

lip of the lower portion of the mouth of the coupler, and means providedb the locking jaw of the 'coacting coupler or revolving of contact withthe tail of the knuckle and arrange said ,pin in the upwardly extendingv e shaped memthe knuckle upon .its pivot and causingthe lockin pin todrop by gravity to secure the knuckii of the first coupler in lockedposition.

In. testimony ture in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID STANLEY.

Witnesses: a

E. Pnox', CLYDE R. Summer.

- i whereof I afiix my signa-

